TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA ? NOT HERE ;
AREA PLAYERS HAVE NO FEAR WEARING NO. 13
Publication: THE
Published: 10/06/1999
Page: P1B
Headline: TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA ? NOT HERE
; AREA PLAYERS HAVE NO FEAR WEARING NO. 13
Byline: DANNY WELLS
Senior Writer
Before Scott Tinsley was
teaching quarterbacks at Nitro, he was quite
a signal caller in his own right at St. Albans High and Appalachian
State College.
And he didn't let the No.
13 stop him from succeeding.
"I wore No. 13 at
during a break in practice at Nitro. "I knew it
was supposed to be bad
luck, but the way I looked at it, it was going to be bad luck for the
other team. Actually, I never was superstitious.'
Today's high school players
in the
superstitious. Wearing No. 13 is no big deal, and triskaidekaphobia -
defined by Webster's Dictionary as "fear of the number 13" - doesn't
seem to be a factor.
Nitro quarterback Jason
Ward started the season wearing No. 13 until a
player quit the team and No. 21 became available.
"I wanted No. 21
because that's what I wore here as a freshman,' he
said. "I wasn't trying to get away from No. 13.'
Of course, Ward didn't
mention the fact that - while wearing No. 13 in
the Wildcats opener - he hit on just 3-of-24 passes for 21 yards with
four interceptions in a loss to George Washington.
Since then, Ward has
completed 17-of-34 passes for 432 yards and six
touchdowns and just one interception.
Ward's replacement at the
quarterback spot at Capital High, John Grow,
wears No. 13. Again, superstition has nothing to do with it.
"Our equipment manager
told me to wear No. 13,' Grow said. "Some
people joke around about it being unlucky. As long as I get to play, I
don't care what number I wear.'
October,' has no problem wearing No. 13 as a wide receiver.
"I just like No. 13,'
unlucky. I didn't really think about it.'
Then
"Dan Marino hasn't got
a ring yet,' he said, referring to the veteran
Miami Dolphins quarterback who wears No. 13.
Sissonville fullback Barry
Stover wears No. 13, but it wasn't his
first choice.
"I wanted No. 12
because it was the number I wore in baseball,' he
explained. "No. 13 was the closest I could get to
it. I'm not
superstitious, but a lot of people kid me about wearing No. 13.'
Sissonville coach Henry
Lanham said he didn't give it much thought
when he passed out jerseys before the season started.
"When I came to No.
13, Barry's was the first hand I saw go up,'
Lanham said.